University of Alabama System launches COVID-19 data dashboard

The University of Alabama System on Monday voluntarily launched a comprehensive online dashboard that displays key COVID-19 data for its three distinct institutions: the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).

Student testing data to-date was released with the launch of the dashboard.

This included the latest numbers on entry testing from all three campuses.

Each student, faculty and staff member for the fall 2020 semester is mandated under the System’s plan to take a test to determine whether they have the virus. All individuals who test positive must immediately undergo mandatory isolation and quarantine. They must each submit confirmation of a subsequent negative COVID-19 test before attending class/returning to work.

Through Sunday, entry testing System-wide showed a 0.867% positivity rate among students. At UA alone, the student rate was 1.04%, while UAB was 0.70% and UAH was 0.30%. It should be noted that UAB began classes on Monday, so that campus likely has more entry tests to report.

In a release, System spokesperson Kellee Reinhart explained faculty and staff entry data will begin being displayed on Tuesday, and the dashboard will be updated on a weekly basis.

“Our goal from the outset of the pandemic has been to develop a comprehensive health and safety plan that would enable our students, faculty and staff to return to on-campus operations for the fall semester,” stated UA System Chancellor Finis St. John. “Entry testing was our first priority. The statewide GuideSafe program, which was made possible by Governor Ivey through CARES Act funding, enabled our team to test all students. The new System dashboard reports the initial results, which have an aggregated positive percentage Systemwide of less than 1%.”

In addition to the entry testing, the dashboard features the number of positive tests “identified through sentinel testing, point of care testing in campus health centers, and self-reported tests from private providers.”

Since sentinel testing through GuideSafe has not begun yet, this set of data released Monday should be understood as “testing for those who tested negative prior to entry but [subsequently] sought additional testing because they became symptomatic or exposed to someone who was COVID-positive.” It should be noted that entry tests are not included in this data set.

At the University of Alabama, 531 students, faculty and staff have tested positive since August 19 after testing negative in their entry tests. This indicates a significant uptick in the positivity rate since returning to campus, as 29,938 student entry tests were conducted at UA, resulting in only 310 positives.

This data also provides background on why Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox — at the request of University of Alabama leadership — earlier on Monday moved to close bars and ban bar service at restaurants for two weeks. UA’s administration had already announced strict limitations for student events and activities in prior days.

Dr. Selwyn Vickers, dean of the UAB School of Medicine and co-chair of the UA System Health and Safety Task Force, discussed these numbers.

“We are pleased with the initial data released today that reflects the entry testing of our students. However, over the past week, due to student behavior, we have seen a spike in the number of students who have sought re-testing because they became symptomatic or were exposed to a COVID-positive individual. That trend prompted the decision to take further steps to reduce the chance that the COVID-19 virus will escalate dramatically,” advised Vickers.

The final set of data included in the dashboard is the percentage of designated campus isolation space that is occupied. At UA, only 19.78% of the campus’ 450+ isolation beds are occupied, leaving more than 80% vacant. Many students testing positive are choosing to isolate/quarantine at their own place of residence.

You can view the dashboard here.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn